Who Should I Start? Josh Jacobs or Bucky Irving

Saturday, August 16, 1:50 PM

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs will not play in Saturday's second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Packers beat writer Mike Spofford. Jacobs will take a seat after playing just one offensive snap in the preseason opener last week against the New York Jets. Most of the team's key starters won't feature this weekend, including quarterback Jordan Love (thumb) and receivers Jayden Reed (knee), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Romeo Doubs (back). In his first year in Green Bay in 2024, Jacobs topped 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time in his six NFL seasons and scored a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns on 301 carries. Jacobs should again be the workhorse in the Packers' backfield this year, but fantasy managers should expect TD regression, making him more of a low-end RB1 target in fantasy.

Saturday, September 6, 12:03 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving heads into 2025 with a chip on his shoulder and breakout potential. The former fourth-round pick says he still draws motivation from his draft-day slide: "I kept that anger and used it as motivation. I was pissed. I was waiting for three days, so just being there and seeing everybody get drafted, it lit a fire in me." That fire fueled an electric finish to his rookie year. From Week 13 on (excluding the Raiders game he exited early), Irving averaged 20 attempts for 123.3 scrimmage yards and scored five touchdowns in eight games, scoring 17.6 half-PPR fantasy points during that span. Now entering his second season, Irving is being hyped as a prime breakout candidate in 2025. With clear RB1 usage and the Buccaneers' offense leaning on his explosiveness, he'll look to pick up right where he left off when Tampa Bay opens against the Atlanta Falcons.